Tag : international

Here’s the weekly news debrief, with things to know from around the world for February 20th

Vancouver:

Travelling from Vancouver to Seattle could take as little as an hour in the future. Washington State is studying how to implement a high-speed train that connects the west coast cities Vancouver, Seattle and Portland. The research will determine if the multi-billion dollar service is even worth constructing and scheduled to be presented no later than December 2017.

Canada:

If you’re an international student, come to Canada! The 2017 QS Best Student City released the top destinations for international students and Montreal ranked first above Paris and London. The top destinations were chosen by affordability, student mix, employer activity and desirability. Vancouver is the only other Canadian city to make the list landing in the 10th spot.

US:

President Trump attended a rally in Melbourne, Florida where he continued his usual ramblings about terrorism abroad. This time, he mentioned the terrorist attack in Sweden, which he used towards his anti-immigration campaign. Sweden among the rest of the world was immediately confused because no such attack existed. Trump later mentioned he received this information from a Fox News report because who needs an intelligence agency when you have cable, right?

International:

The half-brother of North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un was assassinated in Malaysia earlier last week after a strange turn of events. Kim Jong-nam was walking near a Starbucks when two female assassins approached; one distracted the estranged brother while the other sprayed liquid in his face. The brother passed away shortly after on the way to the hospital. The assailant was arrested and said she was paid to do a hidden camera prank show where they spray unsuspecting people in the face with water but for Kim Jong-nam the liquid was switched with poison.

Tech:

Dubai is planning to release their fleet of self-flying taxis as early as July. These four-legged drones have eight propellers and can seat a passenger weighing up to 220lbs. By entering the destination on a touchscreen the drone will whisk the occupant away at speeds up to 160km per hour. So far, 180 of the Chinese made vehicles have been tested in Dubai’s aerospace.

Science:

Scientists are on the verge or resurrecting the prehistoric Wooly Mammoth within the next seven years. Using the embryo from an Asian elephant as the template, they can modify it with extracted genetic information from the extinct mammal to create an almost exact DNA pattern. The question remains whether reintroducing a prehistoric animal to an ecosystem will be beneficial or detrimental. Meanwhile, we’re all just waiting for Jurassic Park to open.

Entertainment:

Harrison Ford accidentally landed his plane on the wrong runway nearly causing a crash. Harrison realized something was off when he flew over a Boeing 737 on the taxiway. He was recorded on the flight traffic controller’s radio saying, “ Was that airliner supposed to be beneath me?” The Starwars alumni previously crashed a plane into a golf course in 2015; he sustained heavy injuries while having no recollection of how it happened. It’s about time Han Solo let someone else fly the Millennial Falcon.

Here’s the weekly news debrief, with things to know from around the world for February 6th:

Vancouver:

A Vancouver startup is hoping to bring an Uber-like experience to the city while working within the same regulations taxi companies have to follow. Ripe Rides applied for 150 taxi licenses with hopes to launch their second app Ripe Tx that will connect users with taxi’s using the same features as Uber. Even though we can’t have Uber (yet) the disruption of ride services are coming full steam.

Canada:

For all you hopeless romantics looking for love head to Grand Prairie, Alberta! Amazon.ca published its annual list of Canada’s top romantic cities based on the sales of romance novels, movies, relationship books and sexual wellness products. While Victoria, BC grabbed the top spot for the fifth year in a row, Grand Prairie landed as the fourth most romantic city. It’s surprising for such a small town but people clearly want some hot romance for those cold winter nights.

US:

Kellyanne Conway, the key advisor to President Donald Trump, graciously provided some more ‘alternative facts’ when she spoke to MSNBC last week. To justify the controversial travel ban toward Muslim-majority countries, she slammed the media for not covering the Bowling Green Massacre. There is one problem though; there was never a massacre in Bowling Green. She later tweeted that she meant “Bowling Green terrorists” referring to two refugees who were arrested for plotting to send money and weapons back home to Iraqi insurgents. Twitter was quick to point out the latter statement wouldn’t have made sense in her original comment.

International:

Tensions are mounting in Eastern Ukraine after a week of shelling from Russian-backed rebels that claimed the lives of at least 12 Ukrainian soldiers. The town of Avdiivka fell under fire late last weekend and continued until Wednesday, the siege knocked out vital power stations forcing civilians to evacuate the city. The U.N. Security Council expressed their concern over the deterioration of Eastern Ukraine calling for an end to the violence.

Tech:

Selfies are about to be taken to new heights, literally. Airselfie is a phone case with a mini built-in drone that can hover for up to three minutes to take the perfect photo. Forget the selfie stick, this drone comes equipped with an HD camera and is controlled remotely from a smartphone. It was only a matter of time before technology brought us to this point.

Science:

Engineers created “the holy grail of aerial robotics” with Bat Bot! By studying the biology of bats, researchers built a lightweight robotic flier to mimic their unique movement patterns. Bats have more than 40 joints in their wings that allow for precise control over their flight patterns. The Bat Bot has nine of those key joints which allow the robot to cruise, dive and bank turn on a whim.

Entertainment:

It looks like the Beyhive just grew by two. Beyonce announced that she is pregnant with twins and of course Twitter exploded shortly thereafter. Queen Bey posted a maternity photo on Instagram welcoming the new additions to the Carter family, within 45 minutes “twins” became the top trending topic. At this point Beyonce can sneeze and it will make world news.

Here’s the weekly news debrief, with things to know from around the world for January 30th:

Vancouver:

The Chinese Lunar New Year Parade kicked off in downtown Vancouver to celebrate the year of the rooster. Some notable attendees included mayor Gregor Robertson and even our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who made a stop on his cross-country tour.

Canada:

Two men have been arrested in the heinous terrorist attack that claimed the lives of six people, injuring 14 in a Quebec City mosque last night. The motives are still unclear but it comes at a time during heightened tensions stemming from anti-Muslim groups that have been vocal around the city.

US:

After Donald Trump issued a nation-wide ban on Muslims entering the US, the streets filled with protests condemning his executive order. The countries listed are Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, which were deemed hot beds for Islamic extremism despite having no ties to terrorist attacks in the US. One thing is for sure; Donald Trumps divisive politics are actually bringing everyone together in solidarity.

International:

The Russian city of Rostov-on-Don experienced a strange phenomenon involving pillars of light emitting from the sky. People took to social media to show the beautiful display of nature, which turns out, was caused by light reflecting from crystals close to the ground.

Tech:

An innovative approach to reducing food waste sent to the landfill raised six times its goal on Indiegogo. The Zera Food Recycler serves as a collection bin for scraps, which turns it into nutrient rich fertilizer in just 24 hours with no smell. By placing a paper additive packet containing coconut husk fibers and baking soda in the machine, it chops them up with the waste and creates fertilizer. Science for the win!

Science:

A patient at Toronto General Hospital survived an incredible procedure that removed her lungs for six days. The dying mother had severely infected lungs that required immediate removal. The lungs were extracted and she was kept alive for six days until they could do a lung transplant. It’s believed to be first time this procedure has been performed.

Entertainment:

The 23rd annual SAG Awards kicked off this weekend. It wasn’t long before the Hollywood elite stepped up to voice their disdain towards the proposed Muslim ban issued by the president earlier in the week. Ashton Kutcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Emma Stone and Bryan Cranston were just a few that had some words of criticism.